


Barely Breathing

by MissBarbieAnne



Category: Original Work
Genre: Coughing, F/M, Fever, Hospital, Pneumonia, Sickfic, Sickness, Sneezing, cough, sick, sneeze, snz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-09 08:45:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17403752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissBarbieAnne/pseuds/MissBarbieAnne
Summary: This takes place in Loghan and Benson's first year of college.





	1. Part One

**Loghan’s POV**

It was late, or early depending how one looked at it. The sun had long set, and the moon was now hanging high in the sky. The day had creeped by, slowly passing as the minutes seemed to stretch by. There was nothing more I wanted than to go back to the dorm and curl up in my bed and sleep. Everything hurt, and my head was spinning, but I pressed on. I shifted in the hard library chair, rubbing my eyes before turning back to my chemistry book.

The past two days, I had felt a cold try to settle in; my movements were slow, my head fuzzy, throat feeling just a little funny. I tried to push it off because I could not get sick _now_. Not this week, and not next week with my chemistry exam on Wednesday. Not to mention my other three classes. Falling behind would result in possible academic probation. I could not afford to lose my scholarship. I had to press on.

I thought I had avoided it, that maybe the symptoms were just due to overwork and stress. The night before, I had felt fine except for the exhaustion seeping through me. Now, I realized it had just been hiding and waiting for the perfect chance to strike. That chance had been this morning. When I woke up, everything was wrong. My throat was torn, my chest heavy and pitching me into a deep, barking coughing fit as soon as I sat myself up. The sinus pressure was pressing against my eyes and causing a steady pounding in my head. My nose was too stuffed off to breathe properly, and I had to draw air in through my mouth, which just led to another painful coughing fit.

Despite every single fiber of my being wanting me to lay back down in bed, I had gotten up. I went to class, and then I went to work, and now, I was struggling to stay focused on the textbook in front of me. With a shaking hand, I reached for my phone to check the time. It felt like I had been sitting here for hours already, but it had only been twenty minutes and I was only half a page in.

I whined with frustration, the sound aggravating my throat and causing my chest to cave in with another harsh fit. I covered my mouth with my sweater-clad hand, wincing as the coughs grated against my throat. My lungs were spasming with each sharp exhale, making it hard to catch my breath.

When it passed, I slumped against the back of the chair with a moan, rubbing my hands up and down my face in an attempt to wake myself up enough to focus.

It was still early in the night, and this was only a cold.

_I can do this. Just two more chapters to go._

 

I woke to a gentle touch to my shoulder, jumping upright from where my head had been resting against the textbook. I looked up to see a girl standing next to me, another student, looking a little nervous as she clutched a book against her chest.

“Sorry for waking you,” She mumbled, glancing at the ground. “But… I thought maybe you didn’t realize what time it was?”

My heart was pounding. “What time is it?” I scrambled to grab my phone.

“It’s almost seven.”

_Shit._

I quickly gathered my things, thanking the girl before racing back to the dorms. I had just under an hour left before my first class, and I still needed to shower and get my things together for work.

I pushed into the dorm, noticing too late that Natalie was still sleeping in her bed. I tried to gather everything I needed as quietly as I could, but still managed to wake her up.

She groaned, rolling over and shooting me a glare. “Do you have to be so fucking loud?” She growled, pulling the pillow over her head.

I mumbled an apology and continued to grab my clothes for work as well as my shower caddy. Now that I was awake, every symptom from the previous night was evident again, and I pressed my face into my elbow as another coughing fit shook my frame. It was followed by two sharp sneezes that made me flinch from the force.

It was going to be another long day.

 

I decided to skip the library that night. My feet were dragging across the concrete as I trudged toward the dorms from the bus stop. My whole body felt like it was on fire, screaming with every step I took. My schedule for Thursdays was always grueling, with three classes as well as a full shift at work right after. My only solace was the fact I was off work for the next week, only returning after the big chemistry exam. It would give me plenty of time to study and rest, and hopefully I could kick this cold from hell.

My phone vibrated as soon I was walking into the dorm, depositing my backpack onto the ground and flopping onto the bed. Natalie was gone, and I was able to cough and sneeze in peace, my lungs fully trying to eject themselves from my ribcage.

I unlocked my phone as soon as everything settled down, my chest resigning to just a dull ache and my nose quivering slightly at the wet mess forming inside. I tried to take a breath through my nostrils and was met with a wall of congestion.

My fingers shook as I opened up the message from Benson, a slight smile tugging at my lips.

_[Hey, love_ _:)_ _how was work?]_

I typed slowly, having to correct my spelling as my fingers stopped cooperating.

_[It was okay. I’m really tired, might go to sleep early. I studied too late last night.]_

_Or all night…_ I had not meant to fall asleep at the library, and I was looking forward to getting a good rest in my bed tonight.

 _[You will do great on that exam, don’t worry. Get some sleep! I love you_ ❤]

_[I love you too.]_

I took in a shuddering breath before another coughing fit dug its claws into my lungs, and I turned my head to cough into the pillow, my shoulders shaking with the strain.

 

My body sagged against the mattress with exhaustion, but every time I was about to doze off, another coughing or sneezing fit drug me back to consciousness. I pitched forward, stifling in the pillow case as sneeze after sneeze tore up my throat, snot beginning to soak into the fabric and drip down my lip. I wished for nothing more than a box of tissues as I wiped my sleeve under my nose.

Another harsh sneeze escaped my lips and I didn’t have time to stifle it into the pillow. It was louder than I meant for it to be, and I had not realized Natalie was awake. She had returned to the dorm over an hour ago, and I thought she had just gone straight to sleep.

She was sitting up in the bed, throwing her arms up in the air and glaring at me. “Can you even _try_ to be quiet? For fuck’s sake, I get it, you’re sick. Everyone is fucking sick right now ‘cause of finals.”

I curled up tighter against myself, wanting nothing more but to disappear entirely. “I’m sorry… I’m trying but I c-can’t he _hehhh_ help it _hiih heh- **etschu**!_”

I aimed the sneeze at my chest, making a mess against my skin and letting out a soft moan of embarrassment, but also one of discomfort as the tickle formed again, far too quick, and my head snapped forward with a fit of rapid, desperate sneezes.

I could hear Natalie’s exasperations, and when I chanced a glance, she was shooting daggers with her eyes.

“Seriously, I am trying to _sleep_ ,” She snapped. “I have to wake up in _five_ hours, and I can’t sleep with you sounding so _disgusting_.”

Heat climbed up my neck and flushed my cheeks. I could feel the anxiety beginning to creep in and fill my stomach with stones.

As much as I wanted to sink into the blankets and ignore her, I could not. My skin was starting to tingle with panic, my skin feeling hot and tight.

“I’ll just go,” I mumbled, sitting myself up on the side of the bed. My skin prickled against the cold air and I quickly pulled on my sweatshirt and a fresh pair of sweatpants.

Natalie didn’t say a word as I grabbed my backpack and left.

If I couldn’t sleep, I might as well go to the library to try and study for a few hours. Maybe I could go back in after she left in the morning and sneak into a few more hours of sleep.

 

The night went the same as the night before, and I woke up with my head on my book and a small puddle of drool forming on the page. I straightened my back and looked around, relieved to find that no other students had arrived yet. It was only 6:15am, and everyone was either at their dorms or at the gym for their early classes. That’s where Natalie would be.

I stood up to head back to the dorm, but felt my knees nearly buckle beneath me. I held onto the table while I waited for my vision to stop spinning, feeling my stomach flip. For a moment, I thought I might be sick right there, but it soon settled, and the room stilled in front of me.

As much as I wanted to believe this cold was getting better, it just seemed to be getting worse as it moved its way through my respiratory system. My breath snagged a second later, and I held onto the table as a coughing fit had me doubled over, stealing all the air from my lungs as I struggled to pull in more. I could feel it all the way down in the bases of my lobes, and the sound was deep and hacking; a soft whimper escaped my lips at the end.

The walk back to the dorm took twice as long as it should have, and when I finally staggered inside, I collapsed onto the bed. I slipped my backpack from my shoulders and dropped it onto the floor next to the bed. My phone vibrated in my back pocket and I took it out and placed it on the nightstand. The text message lit up on the lock screen, but I was too tired to bother responding. It was from Benson.

_[Good morning, love!_ _:)_ _]_

I decided I would text him back after I woke up. Exhaustion was already ebbing away at my consciousness. I slid under the covers with the little energy I had left. Chills were causing my body to tremble as they traveled down to my feet, causing my toes to curl. My chest was burning but my arms and legs were freezing, my hands feeling like icicles when I pressed them against my chest as another coughing fit escaped my lips.

It was a relief when I finally fell asleep, my body having mercy on me as the coughing subsided just enough to let me relax and allow sleep to pull me under.


	2. Part Two

**Benson’s POV**

It felt like my heart was in my stomach, and I tried to swallow back the bile that was forming in the back of my throat. Something was wrong, and I could feel it in my gut.

Loghan had never texted me back on Friday, even when I texted her again that afternoon, and again in the evening. She was supposed to come over that night. She always came over on Fridays. Friday was our date night, and we had not missed a single one so far.

I figured maybe she had forgotten; she had been so stressed out the last week because of her chemistry class. I kept trying to explain to her that she was smart. She understood chemistry better than any other person I knew, but she always psyched herself out. She was so terrified of losing her scholarship that she worked herself down to nothing.

I worked on Saturday, and when I clocked out late in the evening, I checked my phone to find nothing. Every time I tried to call her, the calls were sent straight to voicemail. That was when I really suspected something was wrong, but it was too late to head to the dorms. I would have to wait until the next day, and hopefully I would hear from her then. I desperately hoped her phone was just dead or broken, or _anything_ other than what I feared.

Now, as I stood in front of her door Sunday morning, I felt my fist shake as I knocked on the metal.

At first, there was nothing, and I knocked again. My stomach was twisting with worry and fear, and no matter what I did, it would not untangle.

_She could just be busy. Her phone could have gotten wet and stopped working. She has been too busy to find me and tell me what happened. She is fine._

I was about to knock one more time when the door opened. Her roommate was in the doorframe, long dark hair up in a ponytail and hands on her hips as she leaned against the doorframe.

“Who are you?” She asked, eyes lowered as she looked me up and down.

“Benson,” I said curtly, trying to look behind her and into the room. “I’m Loghan’s boyfriend. Is she here?”

“Yeah, she’s here,” she turned around, her hair flipping behind her. “She’s still sleeping.”

“Sleeping?” I asked, walking into the dorm room. “It’s 10am.”

“Yeah, I know,” the girl, Natalie I remembered now, scoffed. “She’s been like this for days now.”

I bristled. “ _What?_ ”

In two strides, I was kneeling beside Loghan’s bed. I saw her phone on the nightstand, and when I tried to turn it on, it blinked with the “dead battery” symbol. From under the blankets, all I could see was the top of her head, her dark hair a mess against the pillow.

Natalie sat back at her desk, flipping through a textbook while chewing on the tip of her pen. “She’s been so lazy these last few days. I didn’t realize someone could sleep that much.”

Her tone was so nonchalant it made my blood begin to boil. I turned back to Loghan, gently pulling the blanket down.

“Love, it’s me,” I whispered, revealing her lidded eyes. I frowned when I noticed how pale her complexion was, how the skin under her eyes was smudged with dark circles. Her cheeks were flushed bright pink, and I was almost scared to press my palm against her forehead. When I did, I had to stop myself from recoiling. I now noticed the tangible waves of heat rolling off of her, the beads of sweat that were formed along her brow. Her skin was burning hot.

“She’s sick,” I turned to Natalie, trying to control my anger, but I was so close to exploding.

“Did you even think to tell anyone?”

Natalie just shrugged. “She had a cold on Thursday. I didn’t think nothing of it.”

“But she has been sleeping for _two days_ and you still thought _nothing of it_?”

“Hey, I didn’t know she was sleeping this whole time. I have a life too. She is not my responsibility.”

I wanted so badly to grab this bitch and shake her, yell at her that Loghan had been laying here sick this whole time, and nobody had known.

But I didn’t. Instead, I turned back to Loghan, stroking my fingers down her cheek to try and get her to wake up.

“Loghan, please wake up. I know you’re not feeling well, but I need you to wake up, okay?”

I didn’t get much of a response, and I began to get nervous. I pulled the blanket down further, exposing her shoulders. I noticed she was wearing a sweatshirt, and I knew I needed to get her out of it. She was boiling inside of it.

I shook her shoulder, a little harder than I wanted to, but it was enough to get her to open her eyes, even just slightly.

“Good morning,” I brushed her hair away from her eyes, and watched as her eyelashes fluttered as her chest began to raise and fall rapidly. Her breath hitched several more times before the fit started, and she turned into the pillow to unleash it against the pillow. I winced, each sneeze violently tearing through her chest. It tapered off, but she did not receive much of a respite before the coughing started. I heard right away how it started deep in her lungs, harsh and wet. It scared me, the way the coughing crackled in her chest and left her so breathless her lips began to turn blue.

I almost felt guilty for waking her, because now that she was conscious, it was obvious how miserable she was feeling.

She blinked up at me, her lashes wet with tears from the force of the coughing and sneezing. Her lips were dry and cracked from the fever.

“Hey,” she rasped, her voice so small and quiet I barely heard her.

“Hey, love,” I spoke softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “How are you feeling?”

Her lip trembled, and I felt my heart begin to break. She slowly shook her head, pressing her face into the pillow. I noticed the fabric was soiled from sweat, spit, and snot. She had been laying there for two days, and no one had even bothered to check on her.

_Including me._

“I don’t… I don’t feel good, Benson,” she murmured against the fabric and I had to strain to hear her. “I really, _really_ don’t feel good.”

Those words are what told me this was serious.

Loghan _never_ admitted she when she felt sick. She tried to push through whatever she had, going and going until she could not go any longer. Even then, she tried to tough it out. She had pneumonia last year, and was still at school and cross-country practice, attempting to run with an infection forming in her lungs.

From the sound of her coughing, she had it again, and worse this time.

“You need a hospital.”

It was not a suggestion, but a statement.

She was limp as I pulled her into a sitting position, pulling the sweatshirt off of her body. Goose bump rose along her arms and her body was shaking from the chills. I draped a blanket around her shoulders and lifted her from the bed, her burning forehead rolling against my neck. Her clothes were damp with sweat, and her body felt even smaller in my arms than before. She felt so frail, so fragile, so _sick_.

Natalie’s voice sounded behind me, and I froze.

“Is a hospital really necessary for a cold?”

I didn’t even turn around but continued to walk out of the room.

“Maybe if you bothered to check, you would realize this is more than a cold.”

I ignored her as I headed down the hall, pace quickening until I was nearly running back to the truck. Loghan’s hot breath hit my skin as she coughed against my chest, her body stiff in my arms as she whimpered with pain.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and Comments are encouraged and appreciated! ♥


	3. Part Three

**Benson’s POV**

In the few minutes it took to put Loghan into the front seat and pull out of the college campus, it had begun to rain. At first, it was a drizzle, but as I pulled out onto the main road and toward the hospital, the drops fell harder and faster. The headlights shone through the downpour, and I tried to stay focused on the road, gripping the steering wheel tight. My eyed stayed on the road, but my attention kept being drawn back to Loghan, who was huddled in the seat with her cheek pressed against the window. Even in the dimness of the cab, I could see the bright flush on her cheeks, and I was positive her fever had risen more in just this short amount of time.

The silence was full of her coughing, the sound grating up her throat, stealing the air from her lungs until she was gasping. She looked so small, curled up as she coughed into the blanket, letting out a soft whimper at the end of each fit. Just when she seemed to have settled down, and was possibly drifting back to sleep, her breath would catch, and another fit would start.

I turned the car down the road, amazed at how dark the sky had become when it was still so early. Storm clouds were rolling in, and if I did not know the time, I would assume it was late in the afternoon. I trained my sight on the road, windshield wipers going on full speed as I maneuvered the truck down the street, my heart pounding in my chest.

As much as I needed to put all my attention on the road, it was nearly impossible. Loghan was in the middle of a particularly painful sounding coughing fit, tears streaming down her face with the force of it. I was afraid she wasn’t getting any air, her face turning red from the effort, hand shaking from under the blanket that she was using to cover her mouth. She would take into a sharp inhale, then be thrown forward as the barking, congested coughs clawed up her throat.

I chanced a glance over at her, feeling my heart clench at the sight of her pained face, tears falling from her lashes and down her cheeks.

Turning back toward the road, I gripped the steering wheel harder, kicking up the speed a couple miles. I needed to get her to the hospital, before this got any worse than it already was.

I was not expecting it when she screamed.

It was shrill and strangled, the sound cut off by more coughing. I jumped in my seat, accidently turning the wheel the wrong way and sliding into the opposite lane. I just barely managed to swerve before a pair of headlights came racing by me, blaring their horn as they passed.

My heart pounded against my ribcage as I heard her crying, the sobs rushing up her throat. When I looked over, she was curled up even tighter, her forehead pressed against her knees.

“Loghan, what happened?” I asked, my voice tighter than I hoped it would be. I slowly guided the truck toward the side of the road, turning my flashers on and unbuckling my seatbelt. I scooted across the middle seat and placed a hand on her back.

She didn’t even look up, and I felt her muscle contracting with another coughing fit. Another scream escaped her lips partway through it, and I watched as one hand flew towards her side. Fear bubbled in my stomach.

“Let me see,” I whispered, gently replacing her hand with my own. I pressed sound softly, and she screamed again, lifting her head to stare at me, her eyes wide and wild.

“Don’t touch it,” She begged, her voice cracking from the strain on her throat. “Please… it hurts, Benson.”

I gave her a small smile, reaching a hand over to smooth the hair away from her sweaty forehead. Her skin was burning, sweat rolling down her temple both from the fever and the exertion of coughing.

“I won’t touch it anymore. Does it hurt when you breathe?”

She took in a small inhale, not risking anything bigger for the risk of another fit. But by the way she winced, I already knew the answer.

“Okay, it’s okay, love,” I pressed my lips against her forehead, not minding the salty taste from her sweat or the heat radiating from her skin. I pulled her against me, rubbing circles against her

back. She pressed her forehead into my neck, and it felt like I was hugging a space heater.

I didn’t want to let her go, and from the way she clung to my sweater, I knew she didn’t either. But she still needed a hospital, especially now that it appeared she had broken a rib.

“We are going to get you to the hospital soon, okay? Just hold in there.”

I scooted over to the driver’s seat, pulling back onto the road. The rain had let up, and I reached my hand over and laced my finger’s with Loghan’s. She squeezed hard as another coughing fit had her lungs spasming, more tears running down her face as she cried out in pain.

I would have done anything to take it all away.

 

After a two hour wait in the ER waiting room, a half-hour to take x-rays, and another half-hour to get an IV into her dehydrated veins, we were finally resting in the hospital room. I leaned back in the recliner, watching her sleep soundly in the bed. They had given her something for the pain after confirming she had broken a rib on her right side but could not give her anything for the cough.

The x-rays had confirmed she had double pneumonia, likely related to the fact she had been lying in bed for two days, giving the bacteria time to settle and grow in her lungs.

Once they had brought her into the room, her breathing became rapid and shallow, her oxygen levels beginning to drop. They placed a mask on her face, hooking her up the oxygen to get her numbers to go up. The mask remained on her face, her breath fogging it with each exhale. She had fluids and antibiotics running through her IV and a continuous oxygen monitoring device was taped to her index finger.

Watching her, seeing the tubes and wires, was beginning to remind me of the incident. It had not even been a year, and the memories were still fresh in my mind. My chest began to constrict with the emotions, and I pushed myself up from the chair.

_This is not like before._

I stood in the doorway, staring out into the hall. The smell of coffee wafted down, and I took in a long inhale.

Maybe that’s what I needed.

I looked back, making sure she was still asleep. Her eyes remained closed, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.

_She will be okay for a few minutes. She is not dying. Not this time._

I let the nurses at the Nurse’s Station know where I was going, and to come and get me if anything happened. Then I headed down the hall in search of the café.


	4. Part Four

**Loghan’s POV**

A shrill beeping sound had me jolting awake, my eyes unfocused and blurry as I tried to adjust to the dim room. The beeping was intermittent but steady, and I had no idea where it was coming from.

My head felt foggy and I felt something uncomfortable on my face. I pawed at it, feeling the rubber mask as I pulled it off of my face and tossed it aside. For a few seconds, I laid on the bed, trying to take a deep breath but feeling my chest contract. Rolling over onto my side, I unleashed a harsh coughing fit, my shoulder racking together. I clenched the sheets, my hands balled up into fists.

The beeping continued, steadily wearing on my patience. With slow, agonizing movements, I managed to sit myself up onto the side of bed. The sound was coming from somewhere in my room, I just had to go and find it.

My feet hit the cold linoleum floor, and the sight of the white tiles confused me.

_Where am I?_

It just hit me that I did not recognize where I was. This was not my dorm. This was not Benson’s apartment.

I was not able to dwell on it long before another beeping sound started, mixing with the previous one. With a huff, I pushed myself off the bed and tried to go search for it.

Only a few steps in, and my head began to swim. I tried to reach for something to steady myself, but when I tried to grip the bed, my hand met nothing but air. My legs were shaking, and my arm was caught on something… something was pulling at it. Small black dots began to cloud my vision, and I reached again, blindly, for anything to hold onto before I fell. I felt something… a tube? A wire? I was not sure, but I grabbed onto it. It did nothing to support my weight, and the next second, I was crashing onto the ground.

 

It was voices that woke me up this time. Loud, frightened, tense voices.

“What happened?”

“Oh my God, she pulled the whole IV pull down!”

“Her oxygen level is falling, we need to get the mask back on her!”

I forced my eyes to open, even a little, and saw three people in the room with me. One was knelt down beside me, gently placing the back of her hand against my skin.

“She’s burning up, too. The poor thing.”

I let my eyes fall shut, but they snapped opened again when they started to move me.

“Loghan? Can you hear me?”

I looked over in the direction of the voice. The woman was helping me sit up while another one placed the mask back over my face.

I blinked at her, glancing down at her nametag.

_Lacey._

“Honey, are you hurt?” She asked. The other two were in the background, setting the IV pole back up.

I didn’t know how to answer. It was like my voice did not want to work.

Lacy just smiled, putting a hand on my shoulder before motioning to the others.

Together, the three of them bent down to attempt to lift me back into the bed, but as soon as they jostled me, I screamed.

They let go fast, slowly setting me back down onto the floor.

“What hurts?” Lacey watched how my face contorted with pain and saw where my hand had instinctively gone to my side.

I had not noticed the pain at first, but as soon as they tried to move me, it was overwhelming. It radiated up my left side, and each inhale I took felt like someone was stabbing me. My breaths came faster, shallower, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

“Hey, Loghan, look at me,” Lacey turned my face towards her, but she seemed so far away.

I could not catch my breath. Panic began to settle in my stomach as I tried to expand my chest and failed each time.

“Call a Rapid Response,” I heard Lacey say.

Seconds later, the intercom blared.

_Rapid Response to room 317, Rapid Response to room 317._

“Just hang in there, honey. Try to calm down, focus on breathing,” She stroked my hair, holding my hand. I was leaning back against the bed, the hard frame pressing into my back. I struggled to keep air into my chest, tears streaming down my face from the excruciating pain it took just to _breathe._

“What _happened_?”

My head shot up at the sound of his voice. Even with my vision going in and out, I recognized Benson immediately. The coffee he had once been holding was now spilled at his feet, the color drained from his face. One minute, he was standing there staring, and the next he was next to me, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.

Lacey shook her head. “I don’t know, we heard a crash and ran in. She was on the ground, she had pulled the IV pole and the pump down and ripped off her oxygen mask. She is lucky she didn’t rip her IV out.”

“She can’t breathe,” Benson said tensely. “Why can’t she breathe?”

Lacey did not get a chance to answer before more people swarmed the room. I was lifted onto the bed, my screams piercing the air. Benson was ushered out, his voice pleading to stay.

Something was injected into my IV, and the pain began to subside. A cold stethoscope was placed against my chest, and I shuddered under the touch.

My consciousness became unreliable, and I began to fade, only hearing bits and pieces of conversation.

“…must be when she fell…”

“… at least two more broke.”

“… her lung is punctured, we need to…”

I was not able to listen any longer as I began to sink again into unconsciousness. I felt someone pushing something into my IV, and it quickly began to pull me under. Fighting it was pointless, and I let the darkness envelope me as I sunk into a dreamless sleep.


	5. Part Five

**Benson’s POV**

It had been the IV pump beeping that had woken her up, the loud alarm that alerted the nurses that her antibiotic bag was empty. The oxygen monitor had started to beep soon after she removed her mask, as her levels began to drop into the low 80s.

Low oxygen levels and the fever had led her into delirium, which resulted in the fall that fractured three ribs on her left side and punctured her left lung.

She was lucky the bones had not hit her heart.

When I heard the code blaring over my hospital intercom, I ran back to the room as fast as I could. I took the stairs two at a time, bypassing the elevator. By the time I reached the third floor, I was out of breath, but that did not stop me from running to her room.

One look at the scene, and the coffee that had miraculously survived my rush crashed to the floor.

Her lips were blue. She was shaking, grasping at her chest with agonizing screams that would cut off into painful coughs. Her breathing was too fast, too shallow, her chest not expanding the way it should be.

“She can’t breathe,” I said tensely. “Why can’t she breathe?”

Before I could get an answer, more people ran into the room. I was pushed out by someone, I was not sure who. I kept my eyes locked on her the entire time, trying to get back into the room, begging them to let me stay.

Her screams echoed in the hallway. I leaned back against the wall, slowly sliding down until I was sitting on the floor, holding my head in my hands.

_I was only gone for ten minutes…why is this happening?_

 

They moved us closer to the nurse’s station, stating it was so they could keep a closer eye on her. It was not really necessary, since I was not leaving her side for another minute.

I sat in a chair next to her bed, waiting for the sedation to wear off. Her oxygen mask was secured in place, her levels finally remaining stable. Her chest rose and fell effortlessly in sleep, but I knew the pain she would feel as soon as she woke up.

They had placed a tube in her chest, allowing the air that had built up to escape in a controlled manner. It would only be in for about twenty-four hours, they had said, but I wished I could take it out immediately.

How had we gotten to this point? My anger was aimed at Natalie and her carelessness and selfishness. She had known Loghan was sick and did not think to alert anyone. If she had just brushed Loghan’s skin, she would have known how serious this was.

When they triaged her, her fever was pushing 105.

Even now, with nurses and doctors monitoring her, her fever was still over 104.

I held onto her hand a little tighter, reaching up to move her hair from her face. I let my hand linger on her cheek, and when she pressed into it, I leaned in closer.

“Loghan?”

Her eyelids fluttered open, her normally blue irises now paled to gray. At first, her face was calm, but soon her lips turned down in a grimace and a hand went to her chest. I heard the congestion building and knew another fit was on the rise.

She squeezed my hand tight when the first cough finally escaped, the sound so wet and painful it brought tears to my eye just listening to it.

She gasped in between, her eyes frantic, grasping at her sides as the coughing aggravated the fractures even further. But she did not receive even a second of relief before more coughing had her doubled over, sweat beginning to drip down her temple.

I ran my hand up and down her back, wishing for nothing more than I take all of this away.

“Shh, you’re okay,” I whispered, rubbing circles into her skin. “You’re okay, love. You’re okay.”

The minutes dragged on and finally, the fit tapered off. She collapsed against the pillows, struggling to catch her breath. I glanced over at the monitor, noting her oxygen level had dropped, but was still within normal range. Barely.

Her skin was ashen, all color drained except for the red flush on her cheeks from the fever.

A word escaped her lips, a single syllable that ripped my heart in half.

“Hurt.”

Tears sprung to my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away before she noticed.

“I know, love, I know.”

She breathed out a shuddering sigh, sinking back against the pillows. The fit had obviously drained whatever energy she had, and she began to fall back to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are encouraged and appreciated! ♥


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